


Alternate Beginning

by kaorusquee



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-23 00:07:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/919652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaorusquee/pseuds/kaorusquee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story that came to me after seeing this pic: http://crisisdeltax.tumblr.com/post/56186099241/i-want-to-know-levis-past-xddd<br/>I know that pic is Levi meeting his younger self, but I didn't realize it at first, and this story wouldn't leave me alone. So this is the story of what if things were different? What if Levi met Eren when he was younger? Full of ups and downs, naturally. I hope you like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Alternate Beginning**

_Chapter 1_

Levi thought he’d seen everything. He’d been a notorious street thug until Captain Erwin had come across him and enlisted him in the Survey Corps. It had changed his life, given him a purpose. He’d seen so much during his fifteen years of life. But he still wasn’t prepared for that day. The day the Colossal Titan broke through Wall Maria. 

He’d fought hard after that, for his own life and the lives of so many others. Humanity had been unprepared for a wall breach. As a result, too many had died. And the Titans kept coming. 

“Fall back!” He heard Captain Erwin shout. “Grab what civilians you see and fall back to Wall Rose! We can’t do anything more here right now!” 

Because he had moved closer to talk to Erwin, his was right there when the two visibly shaken soldiers approached. “S… Sir!” One of them saluted Erwin. “We… have, uh, a situation.” 

“What is it?” 

“It’s… a Titan child, Sir.” The other continued when his partner failed to respond. 

Levi’s mouth falling open echoed Erwin’s surprised expression. 

“Titan’s don’t have children.” The Captain explained. “You must be mistaken.” 

“I wish I was, Sir. But this… it’s human sized. But it looks and acts like a child. And it… isn’t attacking humans.” 

The Captain frowned. “I would like to see this Titan. Levi, you will accompany me.” 

“Yes, Captain.” Levi hurried after them, his thoughts whirling. A Titan _child?!_ If that was true, it changed everything they knew about Titans. Everything. 

He could hear the muffled cries before he saw it. His Captain and the two soldiers stopped, but he walked forward a few extra feet, curiosity driving him forward. 

“Levi.” Erwin warned. 

Levi acknowledged the warning, but still looked the Titan over. The size of an adult male, but its chibified features did make it appear very child-like. In its hand, it held a long kitchen knife. Blood covered the surrounding area, and he thought he saw an arm behind the Titan, but it was the Titan’s eyes that captivated him. There was so much pain, anger, and fear there. 

He heard Erwin slide up next to him. “What do you make of it?” The Captain inquired. 

“I think it’s intelligent.” Levi told him. “Look at the eyes. I would like to try and talk to it.” 

Erwin considered this, and then nodded. “Be careful though. I do not want to lose my future replacement.” 

Levi took a few steps closer to the Titan, expecting it to attack, but it merely shrank farther back against the wall. “Hey, I’d like to talk to you.” His voice was as calm and soothing as he could make it. “You are different from the other Titans. Can you talk to us?” He paused, then added, “I’m not going to hurt you.” 

The Titan closed its eyes after considering him for several long moments. A huge cloud of steam billowed out from it, obscuring its body. 

Levi was going to step back from the advancing steam, but something moving within it made him freeze. As the steam cleared, he found himself staring at a human child that couldn’t be more than five years of age. A child with eyes the same color as the Titan’s. 

“You… you won’t… hurt me?” The child asked with a hesitant voice. The hand holding the knife in front of his body trembled. 

Levi glanced back at his Captain, but Erwin was in such a state of shock that he couldn’t respond. Sheathing his blades, Levi got down on one knee, saluting the boy. “My word as a member of the Survey Corps. My name is Levi. What’s yours?” 

The boy lowered the knife, fat tears spilling from his eyes. “E… Eren, S… Sir.” The boy stammered. “Eren Yeager.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mainly Levi reminiscing after a time skip.

Alternate Beginning

Chapter 2

“Say that again!” The teen yelled, his blue green eyes flashing in anger. 

“I’ll say it as many times as I want.” The other teen shot back. “Your ‘Captain’ is a weak, pathetic fool. 

Eren gave a wordless cry and darted forward. His fist connected squarely with the other male’s jaw, and he smiled with savage satisfaction as he felt bone crunch. But his elation didn’t last long. Two of the male’s friends, having heard the commotion, came to help their injured comrade. Eren could have easily fought all three of them had he shifted to his Titan form. But that was the one thing he would never do. So he fought them hard, dishing out what he could, but in the end, the fight only broke up when the adults came rushing in. 

“You were fighting again.” 

That voice brought him back to full awareness. He realized he was back at the house, sitting in a chair. He looked at Levi’s back, hearing the disappointment in that voice and hating that he had caused it. Above all else, he hated letting Levi down. “I wasn’t fighting.” 

“No? Reiner said he had to pull you free of three other teens.” He turned finally, looking Eren over with his good eye. 

“Reiner’s a snitch.” 

“Reiner cares about you.” Levi told him calmly. “As do I.” He looked at the bruises and cuts covering Eren’s face. Bruises and cuts that would heal by the time night fell. “What was the fight about this time?” 

“He called you weak.” Eren looked away, defiance and shame mixed on his face. “And pathetic. He said you aren’t worth your title.” 

Levi sighed. Titles. Humanity’s Strongest. Captain. But even those titles couldn’t prevent him from getting injured. In the most recent battle with the Titans he’d been shoved into a building while trying to save a comrade. He’d lost the comrade… and lost the sight in his left eye as well. “You shouldn’t let it bother you, Eren.” 

“But Heichou!” The youth protested. “You deserve so much more respect than that!” As was often the case since the day he’d gotten injured, Eren looked at the bandaged eye. “Please let me try to fix it. Since I am able to heal, my saliva should hold healing capabilities as well.” 

“That’s too unsanitary, brat.” The Captain told him with a shudder. “I will be just fine without my eye.” 

Eren glared, but he knew, as he always knew, that there was no changing Levi’s mind. “I’ll go to my room then.” He muttered. 

Levi sat in the chair Eren had vacated, leaning his head back. How long had it been now, since he’d first found the boy? Had it really already been ten years? He closed the eye that still worked, letting his mind wander and reminisce.  
……………………………………………………………….  
“Are you sure this is a good decision?” Erwin had always trusted Levi’s choices, but this one made him wary. He paced the floor of the office they had returned to after rescuing as many survivors as possible. “If word gets out you’ve taken in a Titan child…” 

Levi looked at the boy sleeping soundly in his lap. Probably the first peaceful sleep he’d had in a long time. “He’s human, Erwin. Not a Titan.” 

“You saw his Titan form just like I did.” 

“Yes, Captain. But his eyes stayed human.” Levi paused, giving Erwin an unreadable look. “I want to give him a future, like you did for me.” 

Erwin’s response died on his tongue. He thought as he looked at the child. Only he, Levi, and the two soldiers had seen the boy as a Titan. If they kept it a secret from the outside world… “If you can determine he poses no threat to humans, then he can stay with you.” 

“Even if he does, I will teach him otherwise. It is the best choice, Captain. Thank you.” 

And teach him he did. Eren certainly didn’t get the childhood he should have had, but it was better than living on the streets. He was fed, clothed, trained to fight. He became an asset to the humans. 

Levi worked with Eren as both human and Titan. He had the boy turn human many times during the week to see if his mind could remain human while in his other form. Even when the boy was tired, he made him shift. ‘Shift’ was the only word Levi could use to accurately describe what happened when Eren changed. He didn’t put on the Titan form; his body became the Titan form. To watch it was both beautiful and terrifying. 

The boy was always calm when he shifted, his trust and devotion to Levi the anchor that kept him sane. Only once did he lose control. Once, when he was pushed well beyond tiredness. Some street urchins had cornered him, taking exception to his eye color. Panicking, he had shifted. He hadn’t killed them; Levi arrived before that could happen. But the intense shame Eren had felt when he’d realized what almost happened made him sequester himself for days. When Levi finally managed to get the boy to come out of his room, Eren’s haunted expression had tied Levi’s tongue so that he was unable to say anything. 

The incident unfortunately made more people learn about his shifting ability. As a result, he’d endured much ridicule and name-calling, and even some physical threats to his life. But he bore it all in silence, always afraid of what would happen if he lost control again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the time skip confused anyone. It's the way the story wrote itself.  
> And Reiner is a good guy here. Dunno if that will change later.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training with Eren's Titan form and lots of pain

Chapter 3

Levi’s reminiscing made him tired. He decided to turn in early that night. His body was healing itself, albeit slowly. But he still limped as he walked to his room, a bone or two having cracked when he hit the wall. He’d never tell Eren how much it hurt; the eye alone caused the teen too much distress. 

“…ou…”

He groaned and rolled over, wanting the sleep his body craved. 

“Heichou.” 

_Heichou._ Only Eren called him that. That was Eren’s voice calling him to wakefulness. “What ungodly hour are you waking me up at?” He sat up, blinking. “Eren?” 

The teen stood in his doorway, eyes downcast, not a single stitch of clothes on his body. It was the lack of clothes that worried Levi. Normally the male wore at least pants to bed. “Did you have another nightmare?” 

“I want to shift.” The statement was barely a whisper. 

Levi’s good eye widened. The boy hadn’t wanted to shift in at least three years. “Come here.” 

Eren slid forward until he was able to climb onto the bed. Looking away, he leaned into Levi. 

Levi closed his arms around the male, hugging him comfortingly. Eren’s naked body was nice to look at, but arousal was the farthest thing from his mind right now. He was more concerned about the boy’s wellbeing. “Why?” He asked quietly. 

“I don’t know.” He turned his head, pressing his face into Levi’s shoulder. “It could be because of the fight. Or not. I just feel the need to.” 

He could feel the tremor that went through Eren. The youth was still afraid, especially since he hadn’t shifted in a long time. “Do you want to stay here tonight?” There was a small nod, so Levi slid the two of them under the covers, allowing Eren to use his shoulder as a pillow. “Tomorrow we will go to the courtyard. You can shift then.” 

Eren yawned. “Okay. Thank you, Heichou.” 

There was a pressure on him, enough to be annoying, but not painful. So he didn’t rise from sleep. He grumbled and rolled, but the pressure and licking on his eye continued. “Brat…” He mumbled sleepily. The pressure eased and he sank back into a deep sleep, not even noticing when the licking continued.   
…………………….  
“We have the area to ourselves today. Everyone else is staying away. So if you hurt anyone, it’s going to be me.” Levi folded his arms, watching the teen in the center of the courtyard. 

“I don’t want to hurt you.” 

“As long as you remember that, you should be fine. Ready to start?” 

Eren sighed and closed his eyes. He was still for a few minutes, just standing there. Then steam issued from his body, covering him. He rose, higher and higher, changing as he grew. 

The 15 meter Titan opened his mouth and screamed long and loud. His blue green eyes focused on the human at his feet. 

As Eren had gotten older, his Titan body had grown and matured. No longer chibified, but lean and muscular. Only Levi was strong enough to subdue the shifter when he was in his Titan form. 

“Eren?” Levi asked when the Titan didn’t move. “Are you in control?” 

The Titan finally moved, squatting down. Reaching out a massive hand, he hesitated briefly as Levi unsheathed a sword, then poked him. 

Levi chuckled, sheathing the sword. “Alright then. Let’s put you through your paces.” He rubbed absently at his blind eye. It had been itching since the moment he woke up. “Try and keep up with me.” He ran in a zigzag fashion, the ground rumbling as Eren lumbered after him. When the Titan almost cornered him, he started using his 3D gear to move around. Even with only one eye, he could still use the gear. His judgment of distance just wasn’t as good. 

And speaking of his bad eye…the itching had suddenly increased, accompanied by a burning sensation. He mistimed deploying his grapples and fell to the ground. Pain radiated through his bones. 

Eren kneeled next to him. Worry covered the Titan’s features. 

“Eren.” Levi groaned, turning over to glare at the Titan. His eye was now in agony. 

The Titan gently lifted Levi up to face level. He grunted inquiringly to the Captain. 

_“What did you do?!”_ The Captain snarled. Even Humanity’s Strongest couldn’t deal with this kind of pain. He rubbed his eye with a whimper, breath coming in short gasps. 

Worried for his Captain, Eren set the male back on the ground and shifted rapidly. Steam still issued from his body as he ran, yelling for the one person who might be able to help. “Hanji-san! Hanji-san, come quick!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry; I'm not killing off Levi. I love this pairing too much to do that.  
> Sorry for the very short chapter. It looked longer when I was writing it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Levi's eyes, and cuteness between him and Eren.

Chapter 4

His throat felt raw when he woke. He opened his eyes, disoriented by what he saw until he realized he was looking with _both_ eyes. “What happened?” He asked, voice scratchy. 

“Your eye healed.” Hanji handed his a glass of water as he sat up. “It was pretty painful for you. The rawness in your throat is because you were screaming. Plus, you’ve been asleep for most of the day. How do you feel?” 

“Like I want to bathe. And hit Eren.” He groaned and drank the water, grateful when it eased some of the ache in his throat. “Damn brat.” 

“He loves you, Levi. Can you blame him for wanting to help?” Hanji sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Where is he?” The least the kid could have done was be there when Levi woke up. 

“He went to his room once you were brought in here. He hasn’t been seen since.” She paused. “He was afraid he had done something bad to you.” 

“He licked me.” Levi said with disdain. “How would that be bad? Aside from the pain I experienced, I feel fine. And I can see out of an eye that shouldn’t have healed.” 

“We know so little about Titans, Levi. Can you blame him for being afraid?” 

“Eren is human.” He told her firmly. 

“Human? His saliva healed you. No other human can do that. After this experience, can you really continue to call him ‘human?’”   
………………..  
Eren rolled over in his bed, facing the wall. Tears stained his cheeks. He went through the conversation he’d had with Hanji once again. It was all he’d been thinking about for hours. 

_What happened?_

_I licked his eye. I just wanted to heal it! What if I hurt Heichou? What if I’ve poisoned him?!_

He sighed. Such a stupid move, he decided. He should have just followed Levi’s wishes and left him alone. Closing his eyes, he tried to fall asleep. 

He was still so young, Levi thought as he looked at Eren’s tearstained face. They forgot sometimes, with the way that Eren behaved, that he was still just a teen. He should have realized how much he meant to Eren. The moment he had taken him in he should have realized. 

The teen’s bed was small, but it would still be big enough to hold the two of them for a while. Maybe. “Eren.” Levi called softly, touching the other male’s face. 

Eren tensed, instantly waking. His eyes registered the other male kneeling on his bed. “Hei… chou?” His voice wobbled and tears flooded his eyes. “H… Heichou??” 

“Damn brat, don’t cry.” Levi pulled Eren to his knees, hugging him. “I’m okay.” 

Eren clutched at Levi’s shirt, taking big shaky breathes as he fought against the sobs that wanted out. “Bu… but… I could have…” 

“No.” Levi cut him off before that thinking got the better of him. “You were right all along.” He pushed the teen back so he could look him in the eyes. 

His mouth opened a little in surprise. “Heichou… your eye.” 

“All thanks to you.” Levi told him softly, brushing away the tears that fell from Eren’s eyes. “It hurt, and what you did was very unsanitary.” He watched Eren flinch. “But I’m glad you did it anyway. And I’m sorry I worried you.” He thumbed away the fresh tears that fell. 

Eren gave him a watery smile. “Heichou, I’m glad you’re alright.” 

Levi cuffed him softly. “Get some sleep, brat. You’re training in your Titan form tomorrow.” 

“Yes Sir.” Eren hesitated for a brief moment, then leaned close and softly placed his lips against Levi’s. He pulled away after one heartbeat, pink staining his cheeks. “Good night, Heichou.” 

The older male had to pause for breath before he could safely speak. “Good night, Eren.” He was happy to hear his voice still sounded normal. “Sleep well.” 

“I will now.” The amused tone coming from the teen caused color to spread across Levi’s face. He exited the room, heading to his own for the night. He’d deal with the ramifications of that kiss tomorrow. Right now, he just wanted to sleep. 

But as he fell asleep, a smile graced his mouth. “Damn brat.” He murmured again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all for this story. I hope y'all liked it. It probably could go farther, but it wasn't designed to be very long.

**Author's Note:**

> Loved typing this first chapter.  
> So in this fic, Levi is 10 years older than Eren.  
> Also, Eren doesn't come out of a Tiatn's neck; his body actually morphs to become the Titan. Hope that clears up any confusion.


End file.
